arrange • compose • conduct
Big transitions leave me adrift. Unable to focus, I wander. Unable to move fluidly from one state to the other, I vacillate. In the end, I move through the big transitions by: Making lists. Trusting the passage of time. Distracting myself with unrelated projects while never leaving the transition, mentally. […]
Are you ready? That’s the message I’m sending to my students this week. Are you ready? Because the calendar moves steadily along. Because there’s so much music-making, learning, and camaraderie in store. Because we’re almost there. Are you ready? I’m rested and rejuvenated from a month of family. Rested, rejuvenated […]
Every performer in the world needs an audience. And to get one, they have to ask people to come and see their performance. No one will come to your thing unless you personally ask them. That’s a message I always try to drive home before my Aces Concert, because they […]
When I was teaching my kids to swim, I had a mantra that I repeated and asked them to repeat. “You’re Always Safe With Dad.” If they were going to take the risks they needed to take to learn to swim, they needed to know that their safety was utterly […]
Don’t you worry about repeating yourself? That’s a question that might be lobbed at a prolific blogger or author or composer. I certainly used to worry about it with regards to my posts here, or even with my composition and arranging – I felt I should always seek to say […]
One of my main criticisms of typical “acapop” arrangements comes down to this question: Would it sound better if those parts were being played by instruments? So much of pop a cappella consists of straight lifts from original band recordings, and minimal adaptation to vocal writing. The problem is, that […]
When a portrait artist starts work, they start with clear shapes and bold lines. Over time, those shapes and lines are softened with shading until the picture becomes clear. But the artist can’t just start with the shading: they build to it. I think experienced professionals are sometimes hesitant to […]
I love to read and hear about individual’s creative process. (A beloved read was Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey.) I regularly listen to podcasts by Tim Ferriss, Adam Grant, and Debbie Millman because they involve deep dives into the daily habits of creative people. But in my […]
In June, I took a quick ride on the Big Shot at the top of the Las Vegas Stratopshere. The ride shot me and my son 160 up from the 921′ platform at the top of the tower at 45 mph. Sounds like a thrill, no? As a self-reflective introvert, […]
There is a resignation to realizing that you’re the one who’s going to have to get something done. Maybe you’ve been meeting about a goal without action for months or years. Maybe no one is raising their hand in rehearsal. Maybe someone has dropped the ball and there’s no time […]